Science Sundays at the KU Field Station: Art + science in the Planetary Simulant Lab

About this event

Join Steve Gurysh, KU associate professor of sculpture, and Ben Sikes, KU professor ecology & evolutionary biology and senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey, for a presentation on their collaborative research in the arts and sciences. Their work explores Mars Regolith simulants and other materials engineered to mimic the mineralogical composition of other planets and moons.

Sikes, a microbial ecologist, has been investigating how simulant materials compare to nutrient-deficient soils on Earth as well as how these substrates can be augmented with waste to impact microbial growth and function. Gurysh, a sculptor, has been employing simulant materials across a range of fabrication methods in mold-making, ceramics and digital fabrication. Together, they have been expanding these formal explorations to further understand how biological life might integrate and survive within these substrates.

Where: KU Field Station, Armitage Education Center, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

What to bring: A mug for tea/coffee to help us reduce waste.

Please RSVP to Wendy Holman ( wendyholman@ku.edu ), KU Field Station education program coordinator, as space is limited.

See the Facebook event .

Science Sundays is a monthly series of free talks covering a variety of science topics, including research taking place at the KU Field Station. Talks are open to everyone but may not interest younger audiences.

The KU Field Station is managed by the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research.